EFB Chapter 18 Annual Celebration
Chapter 18 Annual Celebration
6:30 p.m., Provincial University Gymnasium.
This place is usually too big for school sports meets, but today it was crammed together to create the atmosphere of a superstar concert.
Outside the building, students from the university's student union, dressed in matching white T-shirts, held glow sticks and light boards with slogans such as "A Century-Old Provincial University, in the Prime of Life" and "Alumni Return Home, Youth Never Fades"—you might mistake them for top idols about to give a concert.
cattle?
Of course there are.
Although tickets for the school anniversary gala are not sold to the public in principle, there are always "enthusiastic people" with connections who can get a few free tickets.
At that moment, in a corner outside the venue, a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap was speaking in a low voice: "The last two VIP tickets, 800 each, no bargaining. The seats are right behind the school leaders, the kind where you can see the actors' hairs on stage."
"Eight hundred? That's robbery!" A stylishly dressed girl exclaimed, her eyes wide. "I heard there's Guan Lin, Lin Weiwei, and Xiao Kai today, but it can't be this bad... What am I looking at? Can I see their underwear?"
Turns out she's just a female hooligan. The uncle sneered, "Guan Lin, Lin Weiwei, and Xiao Kai are just appetizers. Insider information: there's a mystery guest tonight, the headliner. You think 800 is too expensive? Once the show starts, I won't sell it for 1200."
The girl hesitated for three seconds, then gritted her teeth and took out her phone to scan the QR code.
The VIP area inside the stadium.
This area was set up directly in front of the stage, and the tables and chairs were arranged not like an audience seating area, but more like a high-end cocktail party – round tables covered with white tablecloths, each table set with mineral water, a program, and a small dish of delicate refreshments.
Nameplates on the table read: "Class of '78 Civil Engineering Alumni", "Class of '02 Economics and Management Alumni Association", and "Special Guest Seating".
When Su Xiaoxiao entered the VIP area, she felt like she had wandered into the wrong movie set.
The dark green dress she wore shimmered with a deep, lake-like sheen under the lights. The deep V-neck was just right, neither too revealing nor too revealing, perfectly outlining her collarbone and shoulder lines.
The back features a bold open-back design, with the spinal groove extending all the way to the waist. The black hair, pulled back, partially conceals the back, adding a touch of alluring sexiness.
Her skirt had a high slit, and her long, straight legs were partially visible as she walked.
She wore a pair of silver stilettos, the heels as thin as needles, yet she walked with remarkable stability, each step exuding an air of "I know this place well."
Beside her, Su Yiyi wore a light blue silk dress, a modified cheongsam style with a stand-up collar, frog buttons, and bamboo leaves embroidered on the skirt, which shimmered with a delicate luster under the light.
Her long hair was loosely tied up with a white jade hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her ears, making her skin appear even whiter.
She stood there quietly, like a clear spring under the moonlight, a stark contrast to her sister's dark green flame.
And Zhou Yuji...
Zhou Yuji was the last one to come in.
How short is that burgundy sequined mini skirt?
It's about the kind of dress that would expose you if you bent over even slightly. The dress has a halter design, with two thin straps hanging on your shoulders, revealing a large expanse of your snow-white back and delicate shoulder blades.
The sequins sparkled under the lights, making it seem as if you were wearing the entire Milky Way with every step you took.
Instead of high heels, she wore a pair of black Doc Martens boots, the boot shafts reaching her calves, creating a wonderful contrast with her sexy short skirt.
Her long, wavy hair was casually draped over her shoulders, she wore red lips and smoky makeup, and three silver earrings of different lengths swayed gently with her movements on her right ear.
The moment she entered, at least half the people in the VIP area were drawn to her.
"Wow..." a young alumnus at the next table whispered to his companion, "Who are those three? Celebrities?"
"She doesn't look like a celebrity. Celebrities don't have this kind of aura." Her companion adjusted her glasses. "Judging by the style, the one in the dark green dress in the middle is Su Xiaoxiao, the second young lady of the Su Group, whom I know. The one next to her in the light blue dress should be her twin sister, Su Yiyi, a music academy teacher. As for the one in the red dress..."
"Zhou Yuji." A familiar voice interrupted.
Chen Mingyuan walked over with a wine glass in his hand. Today he had changed into a more casual suit, without a tie, and the top two buttons of his shirt collar were undone, trying to create an image of "successful but not old-fashioned".
But when he saw Su Xiaoxiao and the other two's outfits, a hint of amazement flashed in his eyes.
"The youngest daughter of the Zhou family, the boss of Yuji Entertainment," Chen Mingyuan introduced to the two young alumni, his tone carrying a sense of superiority that said, "I know them." "But I heard the company is about to close down, and she's preparing to travel the world."
"Travel around the world?" a young alumnus said enviously. "It's good to be rich."
Zhou Yuji, with her sharp ears, turned around and winked at the classmate after hearing this: "It's not that being rich is good, it's that having self-awareness is good."
Her words left the alumnus speechless. He said, "Am I not a toad trying to eat swan meat?"
Su Xiaoxiao had already found their seats—slightly in the middle, third row, with an excellent view.
Wang Bo followed behind them. Today he was dressed simply: a white shirt, black casual pants, and his hair was slightly styled but not styled in much detail.
Standing next to three radiant women, he looked like... their assistant, or bodyguard.
"You're wearing this?" Zhou Yuji looked him up and down. "He's handsome, but isn't it a bit too plain?"
"The main character tonight is the song, not me," Wang Bo said with a smile. "You're dressed too flashy, you're stealing the show."
"That makes sense," Su Yiyi said softly. "Besides, a white shirt suits you well; it looks clean and refreshing."
As soon as the four sat down, the social activities began.
First, several of Su Xiaoxiao's father's business partners came over to say hello. They were all middle-aged men around fifty years old, wearing custom-made suits and expensive watches on their wrists.
When they exchanged pleasantries with Su Xiaoxiao, their eyes would always unconsciously drift towards her collar, but on the surface they still maintained the appearance of kind elders.
"Xiaoxiao is getting prettier and prettier," said a bald Mr. Wang with a smile. "I heard you took over the cultural company? It's good that young people have ideas, but the cultural industry is a deep and complicated place. If you need any help, just tell Uncle Wang."
"Thank you, Uncle Wang." Su Xiaoxiao smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "The company is still in its early stages, and we'll definitely need your help a lot in the future."
"No trouble at all," said Mr. Wang, his gaze finally turning to Wang Bo. "And this is...?"
"Wang Bo is an artist our company is preparing to sign," Su Xiaoxiao introduced. "He also has a show tonight."
"An entertainer?" President Wang sized Wang Bo up and down, his eyes assessing him like an appraiser of a product. "Good looks, singing or acting?"
"Sing," Wang Bo replied politely.
"Singing is good, singing is good." Mr. Wang nodded, but was clearly not satisfied with the answer "singing"—in the eyes of a businessman like him who started his business from scratch, singing and dancing were both unproductive pursuits. "But being a singer isn't easy these days, is it? The competition is so fierce. Young man, have you ever thought about changing careers? I know a few friends in film and television companies..."
"President Wang," Zhou Yuji suddenly interjected, crossing her legs and tapping the toes of her Martin boots, "Wang Bo's songs are exceptionally well-written. You'll see tonight after you listen to them. As for career transitions, we can talk about that later when he's already famous."
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly, causing the neckline of her sequined dress to open a little wider. Mr. Wang's gaze was immediately drawn to her, and he forgot what he was about to say.
"Ah, yes, yes, I'll listen, I'll definitely listen," he mumbled, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and hurried away.
Next up is Lin Wan.
She wore a champagne-colored suit dress today, elegant and proper, but when she saw Su Xiaoxiao's dark green dress, a hint of jealousy flashed in her eyes.
"Xiaoxiao looks beautiful today," Lin Wan said with a smile, her gaze sweeping over Su Xiaoxiao. "This dress is very selective; only you can pull it off."
"You flatter me, Senior Sister Lin." Su Xiaoxiao maintained her smile. "You look beautiful today too."
Lin Wan's attention quickly shifted to Wang Bo.
"Is this the artist you were talking about?" She sized up Wang Bo, her gaze carrying a hint of something more than just a simple assessment from CEO Wang—the instinctive curiosity and interest a woman feels when she sees a high-quality man. "Indeed, he's very handsome. How old are you? Where did you graduate from? What did you study?"
A series of questions were thrown out, like a census.
Wang Bo answered one by one: "24 years old, graduated from a local college...major in vocal music."
That was my profession in my past life, so it's not exactly a lie.
"Vocal performance is great!" Lin Wan's eyes lit up. "I'm currently planning a cultural interview program and need some guests with artistic backgrounds. Wang Bo, besides singing, do you know anything about literature or film?"